One common method of advertising a product, service, location, event or the like consists in using so called business or advertising cards. Such cards typically have a relatively standard format and are easily stored in wallets or conventional card holders. One of the main drawbacks associated with prior art business cards or advertising cards is that they are rather plain looking and dull. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved advertising card that would create a visually stimulating and aesthetically pleasing effect.
Also, relatively recent trend towards an increase amount of leisure time has concomitantly resulted in an increase in the number of individuals collecting items as a hobby. Accordingly, there also exist a need for an improved medium allowing collectors to exchange, display and protect valuable items.
The prior art is replete with various types of card like items that could be used both for advertising and displaying valuable collectibles. One example of such prior art structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,534 naming J. Malcolm Dunn as inventor and issued Aug. 21, 1984.
The hereinabove mentioned patent discloses a display package for small objects that uses a double sided adhesive insert between a pair of cover members. Each of the cover members is bound to a respectively associated adhesive side of the insert. The article to be displayed is sandwiched between window elements and in some form cushion and background elements that are themselves bound to associated adhesive sides of the insert.
While providing an interesting support for valuable objects, most of the prior art devices suffer from a set of drawbacks including the inability to ensure that the valuable objects will not be inadvertently removed from the supporting card or other substrate. Also, most prior art components do not allow proper protection of the valuable object against tarnishing, denting, stretching or otherwise damaging the latter. Furthermore, most prior art structures reduce the overall aesthetical appeal of the object mounted thereon. Still further, most prior art structures are relatively expensive to manufacture.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved display and advertising card.
Advantages of the present invention include the fact that the proposed display card allows for improved bounding of the displayed object to the display card so as to prevent the displayed object from being unawarely separated from the display card. Also, the present invention proposes a display card that provides improved protection to the displayed object against damaged caused by tarnishing, denting, scratching or the like.
Also, the proposed display card provides an item that remains relatively flexible even when the displayed object is mounted thereon thus enhancing its overall commercial appeal. Still further, the displayed object mounted on the display card is mounted so as to be visually accessible from both sides of the display card. Also, the display card is specifically designed so as to accommodate a large variety of display objects.
Still further, the proposed display card has built in features adapted to improve its longevity and reduce the risk of having the card damaged by repeated bending action.
The present invention also relates to an improved method of manufacturing a display card so as to provide a card offering the previously mentioned advantages while maintaining manufacturing cost at a relatively low level.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a display card comprising a generally flat card body, the card body defining a card first display surface, an opposed card second display surface and a card peripheral edge; the card body having a display aperture extending therethrough, the display aperture defining an aperture peripheral edge; a display positioned within the display aperture, the display object defining an object first display surface, a generally opposed object second display surface and an object peripheral edge; the display aperture being configured and sized so as to define a peripheral clearance between the aperture peripheral edge and the object peripheral edge; a first securing means for securing the display object within the display aperture, the first securing means extending and being attached to the aperture peripheral edge and the object peripheral edge; a second securing means for securing the display object within the display aperture, the second securing means being attached to both the card first display surface and the object first display surface.
Preferably, the first securing means includes a ring of adhesive material filling the peripheral clearance and adhesively binding to both the aperture peripheral edge and the object peripheral edge. Also, conveniently, the ring is made out of a material presenting flexible and resilient structural characteristics so as to allow for a relative movement between the aperture peripheral edge and the object peripheral edge. Furthermore, the ring of adhesive material is made out of a polyurethane resin.
Conveniently, the second securing means includes a one sided self adhesive layer of polymeric material adhesively binding to both the card first display surface and the object first display surface. The one sided self adhesive layer of polymeric material preferably offers relative resilient and flexible structural characteristics so as to allow for a relative movement between the aperture peripheral edge and the object peripheral edge. Typically, the one sided self adhesive layer of polymer material is made out of polyester.
The display card preferably further includes an object first protective layer bound to the object first display surface. Typically, the object first protective layer is made out of a generally transparent and wear resistant material.
Conveniently, the display card also includes an object second protective layer bound to the object second display surface. Preferably, the object second protective layer is made out of an epoxy resin.
Conveniently, the card body is of a composite nature including a card core sandwiched between a card first protective layer and a card second protective layer. Preferably, the card core is made out of paperlike polymeric resin. Conveniently, the card first and second protective layers are made out of polyester polyamide.
In one embodiment, the display object is made out of a relatively rigid material. In another embodiment, the display object includes a container filled with a relatively fluid material.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is proposed a method of manufacturing a display card comprising the steps of forming a display aperture through a card body, the card body defining a card first display surface and an opposed card second display surface, the aperture defining an aperture peripheral edge; binding a one sided self adhesive layer of material to the card first display surface so as to extend across the display aperture, mounting a display object having an object peripheral edge within the display aperture so that a peripheral spacing is created within the object peripheral edge and the aperture peripheral edge and binding the display object to the one sided self adhesive layer of polymeric material; filling the peripheral spacing with a ring of adhesive material so that the ring of adhesive material binds to both the object peripheral edge and the aperture peripheral edge.
Conveniently, the method further comprises the steps of binding an object protective layer to the object first display surface; marking an indicia on at least one of the card display surfaces and forming the card body by laminating together a core central layer between a card first protective layer and a card second protective layer.